National Campaign Comments on Responsible Fatherhood Programs
The National Campaign submitted comments for the record of the Hearing to Review Responsible Fatherhood Programs held on June 17, 2010 in the House Ways and Mean’s Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support. Comments included recommendations about: how to help young men be more intentional about when and if to have children and to be prepared for the financial and emotional responsibilities that come with being a parent; how important it is that men think about the consequences of having children and be involved in pregnancy planning and prevention as much as women do; and specific opportunities to address pregnancy planning and prevention in the Administration’s proposed Fatherhood, Marriage, and Families Innovation Fund.
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Funding for Responsible Fatherhood and Marriage
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Info from the Administration for Children and Families on Fathers, Marriage, and Families Innovation Fund
The Administration for Children and Families released additional information about the Fathers, Marriage, and Families Innovation Fund proposed in the President’s FY 2011 budget. This Fund would provide $500 million for grants to states to conduct and evaluate: (1) State-initiated comprehensive responsible fatherhood initiatives, including those with a marriage component, that rely on strong partnerships with community-based organizations; and (2) State-initiated comprehensive family self-sufficiency demonstrations that seek to improve child and family outcomes by addressing the employment and self-sufficiency needs of parents with serious barriers to self sufficiency, and which may also address the needs of children in families that are "child-only" TANF cases.
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National Campaign Letter of Support for The Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act of 2009
The National Campaign sent the following letter to Sen. Evan Bayh, author of The Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act of 2009 Act, and a similar letter of support to Rep. Danny Davis, author of the House companion bill, The Julia Carson Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act of 2009. The legislation includes an important provision that would help engage teen boys and men in efforts to reduce both both teen and unplanned pregnancy. To date there are 3 co-sponsors in the Senate and nearly 30 in the House.
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Read the full text of the legislation
Get more information on promoting responsible fatherhood through pregnancy planning and prevention
Policy Brief: Promoting Responsible Fatherhood through Pregnancy Planning and Prevention
More than half of pregnancies reported by unmarried men in their 20s are unplanned. Although there has been growing recognition
that responsible fatherhood is an important part of promoting child well-being and healthy families, there is still relatively little policy focus
on delaying early or unplanned fatherhood in the first place. At a time when there is also increasing interest in improving the education and
employment prospects of low-income young men, it is more important than ever to recognize that an unplanned pregnancy or the responsibilities
of becoming a parent can derail a young man’s education or training, making it harder for him to get the skills needed to succeed in
the 21st century economy.
Download Policy Brief: Promoting Responsible Fatherhood through Pregnancy Planning and Prevention
Science Says #6: The Sexual Attitudes and Behavior of Male Teens
The 850,000 teen girls who become pregnant each year don’t do so alone. Still, teen pregnancy is
usually seen as a “girls’ problem.” Happily, the past decade has brought increased attention to the
importance of directly involving boys and men in efforts to prevent teen pregnancy. This Science
Says brief provides information on teen boys’ sexual activity and contraceptive use, their attitudes toward
both, and advice for parents and program leaders.
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Science Says #6: The Sexual Attitudes and Behavior of Male Teens
Science Says #24: It's a Guy Thing: Boys, Young Men, and Teen Pregnancy Prevention
This Science Says issue brief draws largely from the National Campaign publication, It’s a Guy Thing: Boys, Young
Men, and Teen Pregnancy Prevention. The three chapter publication provides data on teen boys’ sexual activity,
contraceptive use, and involvement in pregnancy and parenthood. It also provides a summary of what is known
about the effectiveness of prevention programs for boys, and concludes with advice from those who work directly
with boys and young men.
Download Science Says #24: It's a Guy Thing: Boys, Young Men, and Teen Pregnancy Prevention
Teen Pregnancy Prevention: Dads Make a Difference (2004)
Why It Matters: Teen Pregnancy and Responsible Fatherhood
Eight of ten teen fathers do not marry
the mothers of their first children.
These absent fathers pay less than $800 annually for child support, often
because they are quite poor themselves.
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Why It Matters: Teen Pregnancy and Responsible Fatherhood